I'm one of the lucky contest participants who received a PnP preview. (Thank you! What a great idea!)

I have a question about the Add Explorers phase (rules p. 6), before I try to teach and play the game. "Add three explorers from your supply to the Travel tile you added, one in each square...If you have fewer than three of the appropriate type of explorer in your supply, you may choose which squares to fill on the tile you placed".

So I start with 7 ships, 7 birds and if I place a land tile, I have to put down 3 birds? So if I place 2 land tiles on my first 2 turns by the third turn I'm down to 1 bird. If I keep placing land tiles, on my fourth turn I have no birds to place, assuming the explorers always have to come from my supply.

What happens if you run out of a certain type of explorer entirely? Can you move explorers from elsewhere on the map if you are out of supply or are you locked out of exploring land until you get some birds back? Do you have to place all 3 explorers (or as many as you have up to 3 in your supply) every time you place a tile?

My question may just illustrate the tension that's at heart of the game's dynamic in terms of why you flip tiles from land to sea side and why you have pressure to place dungeon doors, but I wanted to be sure I'm not missing something.

I'm one of the lucky contest participants who received a PnP preview. (Thank you! What a great idea!)

You're welcome, and thank you for applying for it!

Quote:

What happens if you run out of a certain type of explorer entirely?

It is still legal to choose to place a tile with the "strategically-wrong" side face-up, such that you are unable to place any explorers on it at all. If for some reason you need to, nothin' stoppin' ya.

Quote:

Can you move explorers from elsewhere on the map if you are out of supply or are you locked out of exploring land until you get some birds back?

No, you may not move explorers from elsewhere on the map to use. You would play an empty tile. Or you would play it Sea side up and place Ships instead of Umbirds, which you probably wanted to start doing before turn four anyway.

Quote:

Do you have to place all 3 explorers (or as many as you have up to 3 in your supply) every time you place a tile?

Yes. You must use as many as you have in hand.

Quote:

My question may just illustrate the tension that's at heart of the game's dynamic in terms of why you flip tiles from land to sea side and why you have pressure to place dungeon doors, but I wanted to be sure I'm not missing something.

-vas

You've got it! Over the past five years, I found the best pacing resulted from giving players seven Birds and seven Ships. Players have enough explorers to compete effectively for dungeon doors, but cannot wait long to do so. Discovering a dungeon entrance is the only way to retrieve explorers so you can send them out exploring again. It is consistently possible to get some back before you run out of explorers entirely.

Running out of Umbirds makes it more attractive to choose to play your tile Sea-side-up and place Ships; and vice-versa, running out of Ships motivates players to use the Land side of tiles. As a result, players must split their attention on at least two areas of the map. Also, if they move away from the other players to focus on exploring in only one direction, it doesn't work out. Players must interact, because the most efficient discovery of Dungeon Doors will piggyback on the efforts of your opponents.

Thank you also for discovering that you can get me to slowly parcel out spoilers before the Kickstarter by asking questions. Achievement unlocked: FIRST BOARDGAMEGEEK FORUM THREAD

My question may just illustrate the tension that's at heart of the game's dynamic in terms of why you flip tiles from land to sea side and why you have pressure to place dungeon doors, but I wanted to be sure I'm not missing something.

You've got it!...Players have enough explorers to compete effectively for dungeon doors, but cannot wait long to do so...players must split their attention on at least two areas of the map..Players must interact, because the most efficient discovery of Dungeon Doors will piggyback on the efforts of your opponents.

Very cool. Given the pixeltastic video game theme (which is fun), I was not expecting such emergent complexity from a simple set of rules, more in the style of an abstract. I'm a fan of games with easy to teach mechanics with just enough theme sauce to keep them from being too dry, especially when that theme helps to pull the rules together. Really looking forward to trying this one with my wife, who has enjoyed the tile laying games we've tried thus far (Carcassonne, Alhambra).

nemorathwald wrote:

Thank you also for discovering that you can get me to slowly parcel out spoilers before the Kickstarter by asking questions. Achievement unlocked: FIRST BOARDGAMEGEEK FORUM THREAD

My pleasure! Wasn't sure if this was the place to post a question this early but figured...where else?

Given the pixeltastic video game theme (which is fun), I was not expecting such emergent complexity from a simple set of rules, more in the style of an abstract. I'm a fan of games with easy to teach mechanics with just enough theme sauce to keep them from being too dry, especially when that theme helps to pull the rules together. Really looking forward to trying this one with my wife, who has enjoyed the tile laying games we've tried thus far (Carcassonne, Alhambra).

This is beautiful, can I use this as a pull-quote for the Kickstarter page, please?